Prepare for launch.

Before you can distribute your app, youʼll need to certify and provision your application within the Enterprise Developer Program and sign and build your project in Xcode. A simple 3 step process will have you ready to distribute your app straight from Xcode.

1. Create a Distribution Certificate

In order to distribute your iOS application, the Agent or Admin within your developer program membership will need to create a Distribution Certificate. This certificate is distinct from a Development Certificate and only this certificate will enable enterprise app distribution.

2. Create a Provisioning Profile

Distribution Provisioning Profiles are matched to your Distribution Certificate, and allow you to create applications that your users can run on their device. You create a provisioning profile for a specific application, or multiple applications, by specifying the AppID that is authorized by the profile. If a user has an application, but doesnʼt have a profile that authorizes its use, the user isnʼt able to use the application. Because these profiles are tied to your certificate when you revoke your certificate or it expires the application will no longer run on the device.

3. Sign and build in Xcode

Once you’ve installed your distribution certificate and provisioning profile, you’ll need to sign your code in Xcode. For more details on the code signing process, follow the step by step provided in the Developer Provisioning Portal.Learn more about provisioning

Developer Spotlight Video

Genentech wanted to create a simple way that employees could get internal apps on their devices so they adopted over-the-air deployment capabilities in iOS to deliver apps directly to employees.

Xcode Organizer

The Organizer is the central library built into Xcode from which apps can be shared (exported) for enterprise distribution. The Organizer can also be used to install in-house apps and provisioning profiles on connected devices. Learn more

Developer Provisioning Portal

The iOS Provisioning Portal takes you through the steps required to test your apps on iOS devices and prepare them for distribution. Visit the Member Center within the iOS Dev Center to locate the portal, where you’ll also find additional helpful documentation.

Deployment Checklist

By the end of the deployment phase you should have completed:

Performance testing and debugging your app

User interface testing and final review

Beta trial period to capture user impact and discover any additional bugs

Creation of enterprise certificate and provisioning profile

Established a distribution web server or solution for wireless app distribution